Rockefeller art auction set to become the most valuable private sale ever

The sprawling personal art collection of David Rockefeller and his wife Peggy goes under auction Tuesday and could become the most valuable single-owner collection in history.

It is tipped to surpass the current record set by the Yves Saint Laurent collection that generated $443 million in 2010. Forecasts for the Rockefeller collection of more than 2000 pieces, which also includes jewelry, furniture, silver, ceramics and porcelain, range wildly between $500 million and one billion dollars.

Masterpiece paintings by the likes of Picasso, Gauguin, Monet and Van Gogh are the most eye-catching. The estimate for Fillette a la Corbeille Fleurie (Young Girl with a Basket of Flowers) by Picasso is likely to be the most sought after, with a guide price in excess of $100 million.